Camembert
One of the varieties of soft, fatty cheese, for the preparation of which whole cow's milk is used, is called camembert. The birthplace of cheese is the historical region in the north-west of France - Normandy.
Camembert is white to light creamy in color, has a delicate, slightly mushroom flavor, and is covered with a special cheese mold (penicillium camemberti or penicillium candidum) outside, which forms a fluffy white crust.
In France, there is a legend that Camembert was first cooked in 1791 by the peasant woman Marie Arelle, a native of the village of the same name. Camembert's recipe was revealed to her during the French Revolution by a monk hiding from persecution.
In 1928, a large monument was erected in honor of the cheese in a square in Vimoutier, France. This event is due to the fact that one of the doctors previously treated seriously ill patients with Norman cheese. Since the results of the therapy exceeded all expectations, grateful patients erected a small monument near the village of Camembert, and after 20 years, a monument was erected in Vimoutier.
Cooking Camembert cheese
In the production of cheese, unpasteurized cow's milk is poured into tubs with lids, the best camembert is obtained from two proportions - half of the curd is poured into molds in the evening, and the remainder is added the next morning.
According to the recipe of the best manufacturers of Camembert cheese, 0.5 ml of rennet is added to 4.5 liters of milk at a temperature of 27 ° C. The coagulation process begins after 2 hours, the milk is stirred from time to time so that the cream does not separate. Since the manufacturer does not always have the mold needed for this type of cheese, it can be extracted from a piece of quality Camembert and added to the milk before the rennet process begins.
The resulting mixture is poured into vats and left overnight, in the morning the cheese becomes smaller by about 1/3 of its original size. The next morning, the whole process is repeated, however, before pouring a new clot, the surface of the old one in the vats is carefully destroyed. After 24 hours after this stage, the Camembert should be so hard that it can be turned over.
After the cheese hardens and begins to lag behind the side walls of the form, it can be salted and laid out on the shelves, where it is important to turn it from one side to the other every day. Only after waiting for the appearance of a pronounced white mold, it is transferred to drying rooms with humid air and a temperature of 13 ° C.
If the temperature and humidity are set correctly, mold begins to grow rapidly and becomes blue in color, in general, Camembert acquires a bluish-gray tint. Then it is moved to a room with high humidity, where the air temperature is 10 ° C. Under these conditions, the growth of mold begins to slow down, the cheese becomes reddish-brown in color, its consistency becomes viscous and is considered ripe.
When cutting a ripe camembert, a firm texture should be felt; if a semi-liquid mass is found in the middle of a piece, the cheese is poorly cooked. Since the shelf life of the cheese is limited, immediately after this stage it is transported in wooden boxes or packed in straw and tried to sell it as soon as possible.
Camembert cheese: composition, benefits, contraindications
Gourmets all over the world prefer to use Camembert cheese in combination with neutral wines: pink, white Sancerre or cider from Pey d'Aug. In French cuisine, cheese is used in soups, sauces and desserts. 100 g of camembert cheese contains:
- 51.8 g of water and 3.68 g of ash;
- 24.26 g of fat, 19.8 g of protein and 0.46 g of carbohydrates;
- 240 μg of vitamin A, 0.488 mg of vitamin B2, 0.63 mg of vitamin B3, 1.364 mg of vitamin B5, 62 μg of vitamin B9 and 1.3 μg of vitamin B12;
- 0.4 μg calciferol, 0.21 μg tocopherol, 2 μg phylloquinone and 15.4 mg choline;
- 187 mg potassium, 388 mg calcium, 20 mg magnesium, 824 mg sodium, and 247 mg phosphorus;
- 0.33 mg iron, 38 μg manganese, 21 μg copper, 2.38 mg zinc, and 14.5 μg selenium.
The calorie content of 100 g of Camembert cheese is 300 kcal. Properly prepared, taking into account all the nuances of the recipe, Camembert is very healthy. It is completely digestible, contains a lot of vitamins, macro- and microelements, bacteria and essential amino acids. The mold contained in it has healing properties, since the substances in its composition contribute to the production of melanin, which protects the skin from sunburn.
Doctors recommend eating Camembert for exhaustion, tuberculosis, AIDS, cancer, as well as those who are engaged in physical or mental work. Camembert prepared according to the correct technology and recipe contains a record amount of phosphorus and calcium, therefore it is useful for fractures, arthrosis and arthritis.
The daily consumption of 50 g of Camembert has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system, is the prevention of caries, and also improves the condition of the tooth enamel. Since there is practically no lactose in the cheese, it can be eaten even by those who cannot stand regular milk and dairy products.
Camembert is contraindicated in pregnant women, during lactation and in children under 7 years of age, as the unpasteurized milk used for its preparation can cause listeriosis. To refrain from eating cheese is also worth those who have a blood cholesterol level above average, as well as hypertensive patients and with individual intolerance to Camembert components.
Camembert cheese recipes
As mentioned above, cheese is a part of many gourmet French cuisine. The most simple Camembert cheese recipes that can be easily reproduced at home are as follows:
- Fried camembert with rosemary and blueberry jam. Place 100 g of fresh blueberries in a saucepan, add 3 finely chopped rosemary needles, 2 tbsp. l. honey and black pepper. The resulting mixture is boiled for 15 minutes over low heat, and then cooled. After the sauce is ready, you need to fry a whole head of Camembert on each side for 1 minute in a pan lined with parchment paper. Prepared cheese is laid out on a dish, sprinkled with thyme leaves, pink and allspice to taste, cane sugar and poured with sauce;
- Diablotenes from Camembert. Butter (100 g), 6 tbsp. l. wheat flour, 250 ml of milk, salt and pepper to taste must be melted over low heat. The resulting mixture is thoroughly stirred, after which the fire decreases, 200 g of sour cream are added and boiled for 10 minutes. 100 g of diced camembert are poured into the sauce, the resulting cheese cream is cooled in the refrigerator. The congealed mass is cut into squares, dipped in a batter of 1 egg, cayenne pepper and bread crumbs, deep-fried and fried. Ready-made diablotenes are laid out on a napkin to drain excess fat.
Camembert is not only tasty, but also a very healthy product. Eating only 50 g of cheese every day can prevent the development of many diseases, and adding it to everyday meals, anyone can get delicious delicacies.
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